

The all-star cast also features Jennifer Hudson and Harvey Fierstein as Motormouth Maybelle and Edna Turnblad, respectively, Martin Short as Wilbur Turnblad and Derek Hough as Corny Collins, Kristin Chenoweth as Velma Von Tussle, Ariana Grande as Penny Pingleton and Sean Hayes as Mr Pinky. Hairspray Live! was produced by NBC and broadcast on 7 December 2016, with newcomer Maddie Baillio chosen to play Tracy Turnblad. When she manages to win a spot on the show, she sets out to ignite social change, leading a campaign to integrate the show so that both black and white dancers can appear together. Set in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, teenager Tracy Turnblad dreams of dancing on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV dance program. This week, we're being treated to Hairspray, the 2002 American musical by Marc Shaiman, based on John Waters's 1988 film of the same name. While the series ended with Cats two weeks ago, it was confirmed with last week's stream of The Sound of Music Live that more timeless musicals would continue to be streamed on the channel for audiences to enjoy at home. They reprise these roles in Hairspray Live! This time, however, their characters are given names: Peaches, Pearl, and Cindy Watkins respectively.Each weekend during lockdown, Andrew Lloyd Webber has been streaming a selection of his shows for free on his The Shows Must Go On! YouTube page to remedy the closure of theatres across the country. Kamilah Marshall, Shayna Steele, and Judine Roberts originated The Dynamites on Broadway.

Harvey Fierstein originated the role of Edna Turnblad on stage as part of the original Broadway cast.Ricki Lake has appeared in every filmed version of Hairspray since her role in Hairspray (1988).Lake and Winokur originated the role of Tracy Turnblad on film and stage respectively. Ricki Lake and Marissa Jaret Winokur make cameos as Pinkettes.The soundtrack was released 5 days prior to the live event and included tracks from the 2007 film remake's performers. Hairspray Live! was produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, and hosted by Darren Criss. It is a performance of a new adaptation of the 2002 Broadway musical Hairspray, an American musical based on the 1988 John Waters film of the same name. Hairspray Live! is a television special that aired live on NBC on December 7, 2016.
